Lemon Herb Breaded Pork Chops

Tools: cutting board for meat, non-stick cooking pan, long cooking fork, bowl or cutting board for bread crumbs, bowl or other container for coating pork chops

     Ingredients: 

• Butterfly or boneless thick Pork chops, 1 thick cutlet is enough for 1 serving
• 1 large Lemon, no substitutes  
• Garlic cloves grated or smashed into a fine paste
• 1 tablespoon of Parsley, fresh preferred over Dry Tip: keep frozen for a longer life
• Shake and Bake Bread crumbs (Pork flavor or Extra crispy) preferred. If you can find gluten free it is also recommended
• One egg
• 2 tbs. of Olive Oil or Melted butter I use only "I can't beleive it's not butter"
•  1 teaspoon Philadelphia Cream cheese for cooking, here I used Lemon Herb  Tip: I use it to give the meat more moisture, as pork chops tend to be dry without it. Add 1 tablespoon to the eggs and mix together before coating the porkchops.

Prep Suggestions: Trim fat off of pork chops and marinate in lemon juice and garlic.

Meanwhile in a bowl or on a separate cutting board add parsley to bread crumbs. Beat an egg and add the Philadephia cooking cream cheese completely stirring it together. Dip and completely coat the pork chops in egg mixture and then completely cover with bread crumbs, patting it down with the fork you are using. Do this for all of the pork.  Tip: Put aside preferably overnight or sometime 15 minutes before making dinner;  this prep technique will prevent the bread crumbs from coming apart when you are baking, which is a healthier alternative to frying. OR You could leave it alone in the oven, not turning it until the very end when you have to serve it.

Cooking: Heat oven to 350 degrees and set timer for about 20 minutes. Place Pork chops on a non-stick cooking pan without aluminum foil. If it has been prepared ahead of time you may turn it in between the time. If it has not been breaded ahead of time, wait until the very end so that it does not come apart while cooking.  Check middle for thorough-cooking, making sure the meat is all white and not pink. Serve with your choice of sides, avoiding processed or greasy foods.


Pork chops are the most popular American dish. When baking it however it tends to become dry, so I prefer to serve it with sweet plantains and a nice tomato salad to give it a mouthwatering texture when sandwiched together on my fork. My husband prefers to dip it in Terriaki sauce, and then there is the ever popular Bar-b-Q sauce (which you can dip the chicken into before the egg and bread crumbs) and/or Rice and Beans. The choices are really only limited to your preferences. This is a meal that will surely melt your stress and cold away.

 

Lemon Herb Breaded Pork Chops ( served with white rice, tomatoe salad and sweet plantains)

I was very surprised to find out that ham was touted as a metabolic food, which would help you burn fat due to the work needed in order for it to be digested. Not just any ham however, obviously lean ham with function better than bacon to help you maintain your weight goals. With the added benefits of onions, garlic, lemons, parsley and "I can't beleive it's not butter" instead of real fatty butter, you are basically transitioning the old way of making your pork chops to the new Metabolic diet. If you can find Gluten Free bread crumbs, all the more power to you! This will surely become a staple in your home. Great all year round but especially grat on those long cold or chilly nights. I recommend you wash it down with some Ginger Ale or a rasberry iced tea instead of your average corn syrup soda like pepsi or coke. To find out more about Metabolic foods and how they function please check out my post on the January 2012 wall "101 "Fat Burning" foods which also includes a shopping list you can print and use at the supermarket.